As reported by the National Health Executive, more women came forward for NHS breast screening last year, contributing to a significant rise in cancers being detected at an earlier stage, according to new programme data
Among those invited for screening for the first time, uptake reached 63.6%, the highest level recorded in ten years.
In 2024/25, 1.94 million women aged 50 to 70 attended screening within six months of receiving their invitation. This is nearly 200,000 more than the 1.75 million who attended the previous year. Screening identified 19,291 cases of breast cancer, which equates to around nine diagnoses per 1,000 women tested and represents a 16% increase on the 16,677 cases found the year before.
The NHS said improved attendance has allowed thousands more women to start treatment sooner, when it is generally more effective and a wider range of options may be available.
Overall, 4.79 million eligible women are now up to date with screening. Coverage across the standard three-year screening cycle stands at 71.8%, an increase of 1.8 percentage points compared with last year and the highest level in a decade.
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